As many of you know, the Cenarion Hatchling was released in the official Blizzard PetStore as part of an effort to help aid Japan and others affected by the recent tsunami disaster. Up until July 31, 2011, 100% of the proceeds would be donated to the American Red Cross's Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami relief efforts.

Today, Blizzard announced that through everyone's generosity, the World of Warcraft community helped to raise over $1.9 million (USD)! [source]

Although the donation period is over, the Cenarion Hatchling is still available from the PetStore for those who have yet to obtain one.

The virtual ticket for Blizzcon 2011 is now on sale, yet Blizzard still has not officially stated what this year's in-game redeemable item is. Some players have been reporting pet-related bugs with the purchase of this year's live-stream ticket, and one of those bugs could be a strong indicator of what the goodie bag item will be.

Deathy Crashes the Party

Similar to his larger and more menacing counterpart, Deathy (the Blizzcon 2010 in-game redeemable companion) decided to make a sudden and unexpected appearance. Many reported receiving this pet upon purchasing this year's virtual ticket. After players inquired whether or not this gift was intentional, a blue poster commented on this issue, stating:

"You all have posed an excellent question to which we are inquiring about now. We will update the thread when we have further information." [source]

Comments from players on the thread linked above are reporting that these "stowaway" companions are being removed from their collections, meaning Blizzard probably did not intend for Deathy to be sent out and it's unlikely that players will get to keep him. The investigation on the matter is still open, and we hope to hear an official update on this situation soon.

Murkablo Tags Along

Interestingly enough, comments on the same thread linked above as well as from WarcraftPets Facebook page and the Blizzcon Forums, report that the Diablo 3 inspired pet, Murkablo, showed up in their in-game mailbox instead. It's unclear whether or not Blizzard will allow players, who received Murkablo early through this live-stream ticket bug, to keep him.

Blizzcon 2011 Pet?
So is Murkablo really this year's goodie bag item? Most clues indicate yes and with this virtual ticket bug, the cat may already be out of the bag, but until Blizzard officially announces this year's redeemable item, we cannot confirm 100% that it will be Murkablo. Stay tuned for an update on this situation and hopefully an announcement of the Blizzard 2011 pet!

The whereabouts of the Guardian Cub is still a heavily guarded secret. Despite many initial beliefs that it would become available from the Blizzard PetStore shortly after its larger mount counterpart was released, this adorable companion is still in hiding. On top of the many questions revolving around the Guardian Cub, a new curious aspect of this pet has popped up.

Limited Soulbound Duration
Since the discovery of this non-combat companion in patch 4.1, a new item ID for it has surfaced in patch 4.2. There are now two separate item IDs for the Guardian Cub, each with somewhat different item text.

The older datamined item states that the Guardian Cub has a one hour duration. After the one hour has passed, it "unbinds" and is likely then trade-able with other players.

The newest datamined Guardian Cub simply states that it is a unique item, meaning a player may only have one of these items in their inventory at any given time.

While there are two item IDs, it should be noted that both items appear to teach the same spell ID.

What Does It Mean?
We aren't entirely sure what the two item IDs could mean for this companion or if it's an indicator of anything significant at all. There could be many explanations as to why a pet item would have a limited soulbound duration on it, and we hope to provide some answers about this companion soon.

Blizzard has released another preview of Patch 4.3, and this time it includes a sneak peak at a revamped Darkmoon Faire. Not only will there be new quests and activities, the official preview has even hinted at new companions. This includes, but may not be limited to, a "fez-wearing monkey." [source]

Tell Me More!
The details about this new pet and other possible Darkmoon Faire pets are still limited, but the preview does mention that the non-combat companions will require (new) Darkmoon Faire tickets as well as a possible level of reputation to purchase.

We hope to bring more news and updates on how to obtain these pets as well as more information about the pets in general in the near future. Stay tuned!

Blizzard has officially announced what this year's Blizzcon in-game redeemable item is. It is none other than Murkablo, the Diablo themed baby murloc! Along with Murkablo, Blizzcon ticket holders and those that have purchased a virtual ticket will also receive a "yet-to-be-revealed StarCraft II in-game gift." [source]

A Not So Fiery Secret
After the virtual ticket mishap, the odds that Murkablo would indeed be this year's redeemable item skyrocketed. It's quite difficult to keep such a large bundle of demonic power a secret though, don't you think?

Along with a fiery breath and smouldering body, Murkablo will blow smoke rings and hop through them like a daring acrobat. Needless to say, while he doesn't have to worry about all of his "hot" antics, I'm sure the rest of us will want to keep a bucket of water on hand just in case.